How to get African Arowana onto Pellets?

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Darth Scohin

Darth Scohin

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 16, 2009
1,758
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Mountain Valley, Near Flats
How do you train an African Arowana on Pellets? So I've had my African Arowana for almost a month (and he's doubled in size since then) I've been feeding him frozen planktonic foods such as Brine Shrimp Bloodworms Daphnia and Sprinula. However, I've tried giving him NLS and he just spits it out. Do you think he'll eat Hikari Food Sticks? I don't want to starve him into pellets because I don't want him to die since he needs alot of food....What do I do?
 
My experience, at least with silver arowanas, is that they can go quite a long time w/o eating actually. So "starving them into eating pellets" isn't necessary a bad way to go...and to be honest, as long as you're continuing to feed him what he prefers, why should he switch? If he goes more than 2 weeks without eating, then give him a meal of what he likes, and keep going another week at a time. I've never had an aro hold out for more than a week though...The other thing that usually works is having more than one, if one eats the other will get the idea!
 
Crush pellets and get them used to the dust, and then just keep trying them whole. They will just suck them in and out and then drop for a while, but eventually they will start swallowing.
 
OmniTranz;4321158; said:
My experience, at least with silver arowanas, is that they can go quite a long time w/o eating actually. So "starving them into eating pellets" isn't necessary a bad way to go...and to be honest, as long as you're continuing to feed him what he prefers, why should he switch? If he goes more than 2 weeks without eating, then give him a meal of what he likes, and keep going another week at a time. I've never had an aro hold out for more than a week though...The other thing that usually works is having more than one, if one eats the other will get the idea!
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I know that is how you get other fish to go onto pellets but Afros need near constant food at a young age....And I worry if I do a Starvation method he could die before he gives in....Thank you for the idea Madding I'll try it now
 
I fed mine dense culture growth crumbles, kens sticks, and any sinking pellet food when he was young. I never had any problem with him eating any prepared foods so long as it sank. Now, at the 30" mark, he eats massivore pellets, kens sticks, meat wafers w/spirulina, earthworms (whole), and bait minnows.
 
Darth Scohin;4321685; said:
I'm Glad you replied Oddball :) I gave him some 1mmNLS and.....He has not touched it at all:irked: Would Crushed Massivore Work?
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Yes, crushed massivores would work.
 
When getting my fish onto pellets(granted it was not an aro) I starved him for about a week and put one or two in every day at different times and on about the 7th - 8th day he took to them. Even now he still spits them out occasionally but all he gets are those pellets for now so he eats them. They are Hikari Cichlid Gold by the way. The medium size if that helps.
 
As stated above, the starvation method on young afaros will only result in dead afaros. Until they pass about 8", and have developed their fat reserves, they'll likely die if denied food for even a day.
 
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